Perovskia plant named `Little Spire`

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Perovskia plant named `Little Spire`, characterized by its upright and relatively compact plant habit; relatively short flower stems; small dark purple blue flowers; numerous flowers per plant; and excellent garden performance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPerovskia plant, botanically known as Perovskia hybrida, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name Little Spire.

The new Perovskia was discovered by the Inventor in Rijpwetering, TheNetherlands, in 1995 in a seed bed of sown Perovskia hybrida seed fromvarious crosses of unidentified Perovskia seedling selections.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken atRijpwetering, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features ofthis new Perovskia are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Little Spire have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity,daylength, and fertility level without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of `Little Spire`. These characteristicsin combination distinguish `Little Spire` as a new and distinctcultivar:

1. Upright and relatively compact plant habit with relatively shortflower stems.

2. Small dark purple blue flowers.

3. Freely flowering with numerous flowers per plant.

4. Excellent garden performance; good weather tolerance.

Plants of the cultivar Little Spire can be compared to plants of thenonpatented Perovskia atriplicifolia cultivar Blue Spire. However inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands,plants of the cultivar Little Spire differ from plants of the cultivarBlue Spire in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Perovskia are more compact than of plants of thecultivar Blue Spire.

2. Leaves of plants of the new Perovskia appear slightly grayer, areless deeply serrate and more acuminate than leaves of plants of thecultivar Blue Spire.

3. Plants of the new Perovskia have shorter flower stems than plants ofthe cultivar Blue Spire.

4. Plants of the new Perovskia have darker purple blue flower color thanplants of the cultivar Blue Spire.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. The photographcomprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of the newPerovskia in outdoor cultivation. Flower and foliage colors in thephotograph may appear different than the actual colors due to lightreflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for thedescription were grown in 1.5-liter containers under outdoor productionconditions during the spring and summer which closely approximatecommercial production conditions in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands.

Botanical classification: Perovskia hybrida cultivar Little Spire.

Parentage:

Female parent.--Unidentified Perovskia hybrida seedling selection.

Male parent--Unidentified Perovskia hybrida seedling selection.

Propagation:

Type cutting.--Terminal vegetative cuttings.

Time to initiate and develop roots.--About 14 days during the springunder outdoor production conditions.

Rooting habit.--Numerous and fine.

Plant description:

Crop time.--From cuttings, about 30 weeks are required to produce afully-grown flowering plant in a 1.5-liter container.

Form.--Upright, narrow inverted triangle, herbaceous perennial herb.Appropriate for 1.5-cm containers.

Branching habit.--Basally branching, moderate.

Plant height (from soil level to top of plant plane).--About 65 cm.

Area of spread.--About 22.5 cm.

Vigor.--Moderate.

Branches.--Quantity: Typically 6 to 10. Length: About 40 cm. Diameter:About 2.75 mm. Internode length: About 2.75 cm. Shape: Square incross-section. Texture: Soft tomentose. Color: Light gray-green,190C-190D.

Foliage description.--Leaves simple, generally symmetrical, opposite andlong persisting. Quantity per lateral branch: Typically about 30.Length: About 4.25 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Aspect: Somewhat upright.Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Acuminate. Margin: Serrate. Texture:Viscid, slightly pubescent. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: Dulledgreen, 138B. Young foliage, lower surface: 139C. Mature foliage, uppersurface: Dulled green, 138B. Mature foliage, lower surface: 139C.Venation, upper surface: 138B. Venation, lower surface: 190C. Petiole:Length: About 1.25 mm. Diameter: About 1.25 mm. Color: Upper surface:Dulled green, 138B. Lower surface: Greyed-green, 190C.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.--Small flowers in 6-flowered vertillicastersarranged in terminal racemes; sessile. Freely flowering. Flowers lastabout 6 days. Not persistent.

Natural flowering season.--Continuously flowering typically duringAugust through September in the Northern Hemisphere.

Quantity.--Very freely flowering with about 50 flowers per raceme.One-year old plants will usually have about 1,000 to 1,500 flowers.

Fragrance.--Not discerned.

Flower buds.--Length: About 5.5 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Shape:Ovate. Rate of opening: About 5 weeks from visible bud to fully openedflower. Color: Dark blue, 103A, with violet, 88C-88D, hairs.

Flower size.--Diameter: About 4.5 mm. Depth (tube length): About 6 mm.

Corolla.--Shape: Bilabiate; tubular/campanulate; upper lip, 4-toothed;lower lip, entire. Petal length: About 1 cm. Petal width: Upper lip,about 5 mm; lower lip, about 3 mm. Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin:Entire. Texture: Smooth to sparsely pubescent. Color: Petal, uppersurface, when opening: Dark purple blue; upper lip, 93B; lower lip, 89B.Petal, lower surface, when opening: Violet, 93C. Petal, upper surface,opened flower: Dark purple blue; upper lip, 93B; lower lip, 89B. Petalcolor does not fade. Petal, lower surface, opened flower: Violet, 93C.

Calyx.--Shape: Tubular/campanulate; sepals, elliptic, fused at base.Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Sepal quantity: Five. Sepalapex: Rounded to acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Texture: Pubescent. Color:Dark blue, 103A, with violet, 88C-88D, hairs.

Reproductive organs.--Stamens: Stamen number: Four, only 2 fertile.Anther shape: Basifixed. Anther size: About 1 mm. Anther color: Darkblue. Pollen amount: Sparse. Pollen color: White. Pistils: Pistillength: About 1.3 cm. Stigma color: Pale violet blue to pale gray. Stylelength: About 1.1 cm. Style color: Pale violet blue. Ovary color: Darkgreen.

Seed.--Seed production has not been observed.

Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Perovskia have exhibited goodtolerance to rain, wind and low temperatures; good garden performance.

Disease resistance: Under commercial conditions, resistance to diseasescommon to Perovskia has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Perovskia plant named`Little Spire`, as illustrated and described.